Love Is A Battlefield
by Mitsukai Ashi
Summary: Ranma and Akane’s senior prom is coming up, but Ranma hasn’t asked Akane. What will happen between them on that night, when a girl’s dreams are supposed to come true…? Oneshot. A little OOC, but we all know that’s okay. Please R&R!


LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD

A Ranma ½ Oneshot by Mitsukai Ashi

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Ranma ½ and I am only borrowing them from Rumiko Takahashi, the queen of anime/manga.

Summary: Ranma and Akane's senior prom is coming up, but Ranma hasn't asked Akane. What will happen between them on that night, when a girl's dreams are supposed to come true…? Oneshot. A little OOC, but we all know that's okay.

* * *

"Okay, everyone, before the bell rings, I would just like to remind you that it's Thursday. There are only two days left to get your affairs in order!"

Akane Tendo looked up from her _Fruits Basket_ manga as her teacher, Miss Hanako, addressed the class. She wasn't the only one; most of the girls and even some of the guys in her usually unruly class suddenly grew quiet as Miss Hanako spoke. Their teacher noticed this and beamed with excitement. It wasn't everyday that she could get them to listen to her.

"That being said, I just want you all to know that as your loving teacher, I hope you all have a wonderful prom this Saturday!"

That's when everyone went back to their activities. Miss Hanako grimaced. _You had 'em and you lost 'em, Hanako._

DING-DONG!

There was a general scraping and clattering of desks and chairs as the bell rang. Akane placed her manga in her bag and quickly left with her friends, Yuka and Sayuri, before her fiancé, Ranma Saotome, had the chance to catch up to her.

"So, Akane, do you and Ranma have any special plans for after the prom?" asked Sayuri.

"Huh?"

"Well, you two are going to prom together, aren't you?" asked Yuka. "So what are you two doing afterward?"

"Nothing," said Akane, frowning slightly. "We're not going. Or at least, not together. I'm probably going stag."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed both of her friends.

"Why isn't he taking you?" asked Sayuri furiously. "Hasn't he asked?"

Akane sighed. "No, he hasn't."

"And you're okay with that?" asked Yuka. Akane just shrugged and listened unresponsively to her friends ramble indignantly about this latest offense her fiancé committed. Contrary to what her friends thought, she wasn't surprised that Ranma hadn't asked her. After all, why would he want to go to their senior prom with his _uncute_ fiancée? He still had Ukyo, Shampoo, or Kodachi to ask out, so why would he go with her?

When the three of them got to the main entrance, they stared outside with dismay.

"Great. It's raining," said Yuka. She glanced at the rental umbrellas with disdain; there was only one left. She walked over and picked it up, looking at it with uncertainty.

"We…all might be able to fit under it," said Sayuri optimistically.

"Don't worry about it, girls. Akane and I can share mine, since we're going the same way anyway."

The three of them turned to find none other than Ranma standing right behind them, carrying an umbrella of his own. Akane felt a mad blush creep across her face and quickly stared at the floor, hiding her face from him. Her friends noticed this, and Yuka said hurriedly, "Are you sure, Ranma? I mean, we don't mind."

He nodded as he looked down at his fiancée. "I need to talk to Akane privately anyway, so go ahead," he said.

Akane blushed even harder at these words. Privately? Was he going to ask her to the prom? But what if he wasn't? She didn't want to stick around to find out, and she tried to convey a silent message to her friends to save her.

Alas, she had no such luck. Yuka and Sayuri merely gazed at her with knowing smiles on their faces.

"If you insist, Ranma," said Yuka.

"Call us later, Akane," added Sayuri. She opened the umbrella, and Akane watched them as they walked out together, never once looking back at their friend.

_Traitors_, she thought with a frown. How could they just leave her alone with him? She'd been trying to avoid him since Monday!

Ranma looked down at his purple-haired fiancée. She'd been unusually quite and withdrawn all week, and he intended to find out why.

"You ready, Akane?" he asked. She nodded quietly, and followed him out into the rain. They walked in silence for a little while, but Akane, knowing Ranma like she did, didn't expect him to keep silent for too long.

And sure enough, about two blocks from the Tendo household, Ranma finally spoke up.

"Akane? Why have you been avoiding me all week?"

"I have not," she denied easily.

"Yeah, you have," he answered. "You've barely spoken to me since Monday. Did I do something? Are you mad at me? Cause if you are, I'd like to know why."

She sighed. He could be so damn persistent.

"Ranma, I'm not mad at you. You haven't done anything." And that's the problem…

"Then tell me why, Akane," he said. He reached out and grabbed her arm, both of them coming to a stop. "Tell me why you won't talk to me, and why you won't look at me."

"Why should it matter to you?" she asked. "I haven't hit you, have I? We haven't been arguing, and you've barely had to put up with me. So why do you give a damn?!"

He was taken aback by the pain he could hear in her voice. His grip on her arm loosened, and he searched for the right words to say.

"Because I care, Akane," he said softly. "I care. So when you're hurting, I'd like to know why."

She didn't say anything. All she did was slip her hand from his grip, and she walked out of the sheltered area the umbrella created into the cold, driving rain.

Something clicked in his mind, and since he had no other lead, he took a chance.

"Is it about Saturday?" he asked.

She turned and finally looked at him. "You mean you know what's going on?" she asked.

"Well, uh…actually, no," he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I haven't been paying attention in school these last few days. But everyone keeps saying something about Saturday, and it's obviously bothering you, so could you enlighten me as to why it's so important?"

She stared at him, dumbfounded. She had always known he was dense, but could he be any stupider?

"Ranma…Saturday is our _PROM_!"

He blinked in surprise. Their prom? _Oh, shit…_

"I've been avoiding you," she finally told him, "because if our fathers found out, they'd probably force you to into taking me." She glanced away. "I've been asked by other boys, but I only want to go with one boy, and he hasn't asked me. So I've been planning on going stag."

Ranma felt his jealousy stirring. "And who would this boy be?" he asked. "Not that I care, but I doubt he'd want to take a brick like you anyway."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he hadn't said them. He braced himself for her attack.

But it never came. Akane heard the words, but for once, she didn't feel like hitting him. She just felt like crying, which she allowed herself to do. She looked back at him with a falsely bright smile, certain her tears were camouflaged by the rain.

"I know you wouldn't, Ranma," she said. "As I said, I was planning on going alone. I'm sure you'd want to go with someone else. I'm pretty sure Ukyo would go with you. Or you know what, we can ask people from other schools. You could invite Kodachi or Shampoo."

He stood dumbly at her as her words sank in. _You mean…I'm the boy she wants to go with?_

"I mean, I know she doesn't go to school," Akane continued, "but still, I'm sure you could take Shampoo if you wanted to…"

He continued to stare at her. Did she realize what she was saying?

"Akane," he asked slowly, "do you _want_ me to go with one of them?"

"Of course not," she said bluntly. "What I do want, though, is for you to have fun during our prom. So if you want to go with one of them, go ahead. I won't stop you this time."

He felt horrible. Here she was, caring about him enough to want him to be happy, and all he could do was stand there, staring at her. He wanted to ask her out; dear gods, he wanted to say so many things, but all he could manage was, "Whatever, just get back under this umbrella before you get sick. Or do you _like_ walking in the rain?"

She turned away and whispered, "I walk in the rain so that you won't know I'm crying, Ranma Saotome."

She hadn't meant for him to hear it, but he did. That statement hurt him more than any physical attack from her mallet could've. He swallowed and approached her. "Akane…"

She shook her head. Now that she was under the umbrella, he'd be able to see her tears if she looked at him now. She couldn't let him see how easily he had hurt her. He'd just make fun of her more.

"Let's just go home, Ranma," she said.

He gazed at her. He wanted to apologize, but once again, the words just wouldn't come. He wanted to take her hand, but he was afraid she'd refuse. And what right would he have, anyway? He had hurt her; how could he have the right to hold her hand? He wanted to wipe away the tears that she couldn't quite hide from him, but that would be too awkward for both of them. So, sighing mentally, he just set off at a brisk pace, his fiancée following him in silence.

* * *

"Akane?"

Akane heard her oldest sister, Kasumi, walk into the room. She was in the Tendo dojo, practicing her butterfly kata in an attempt to relieve some stress. As her sister approached, she glanced at her, but continued the kata.

"What is it, Kasumi?" she asked.

Kasumi sat down a good distance from Akane, her eyes following the graceful movements of the kata.

"Akane, did you and Ranma have a fight again?" she asked cautiously.

"Not really, why?"

"Well, you've been in here since you got home, and Ranma's been locked up in his room. Mr. Saotome suggested I bring him some ramen, but when I did, he said he wasn't hungry."

"So?"

"So, Ranma's never NOT hungry," came Nabiki's voice. Kasumi and Akane looked at the door as their middle sister crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway to the dojo. "So spill. What happened between you two?"

"What does it matter?" asked Akane, annoyed. She kicked the air a little more forcefully than she was supposed to. "Ranma and I are always fighting. What makes this time so special?"

"The fact that he's depressed about it," said Kasumi. "Not that it's any of our business…"

Akane rolled her eyes inwardly. Even Kasumi tended to make the happenings between her little sister and Ranma her business.

"…but Ranma usually doesn't act like it's his fault the fights happen, even when he knows that it is. It's strange that this time, he's more upset about it than you."

"Was it about Saturday's prom?" asked Nabiki shrewdly.

Up until now, Akane had managed to keep every step of her kata perfectly and still focus on the conversation. This time she missed a step as she gaped at her sister. "Nabiki, how the hell do you _do_ that?" she asked. "I haven't told any of you, and you don't even go to Furinkan anymore!"

"I have my ways…" she said mysteriously. "So it is about Saturday. What did you guys say? Is he taking you?"

"No," she answered simply, falling back into step with her kata.

"What?!" exclaimed Nabiki. "Why not?"

She shrugged. "No real reason, we're just not going together," she said.

"Akane, prom is special," said Kasumi. "A girl dreams about it all her life. Don't you want to spend that night with Ranma? After all, he is your—"

"My what? My fiancé?" snapped Akane, suddenly halting her kata and turning to face her sister. "Gods, I am so sick of that word! If you recall, our engagement wasn't our choice, Kasumi. Ranma's honor-bound to marry me. But that doesn't mean he cares about me! The engagement doesn't mean anything to him, so why should it mean anything to me?! You tell me that, sis! Tell me why I should love someone who doesn't love, or even like, me back!" She suddenly sat down and buried her face in her hands. Quietly, she said, "He doesn't want to go with me, guys, and I won't force him. So could you please just leave me alone?"

They watched their little sister for a moment. Kasumi leaned down and placed her hand on Akane's shoulder.

"Akane?"

Akane looked up miserably. Kasumi smiled at her gently.

"Tomorrow after school, Nabiki and I will take you shopping for a prom gown, all right?"

"I'll even buy it for you," said Nabiki, smiling at her little sister with a kindness rarely seen. "How's that sound?"

Akane looked at her sisters and felt like the biggest bitch in the history of Japan. She could always count on her sisters when she really needed them.

"Thanks," she said quietly, wiping away the tears that suddenly began streaming down her face.

Outside the dojo, Ranma stood listening to their conversation. He had come looking for Akane, to talk with her, but he had heard all he needed to. He turned to walk away, but unfortunately for him, Nabiki and Kasumi walked out of the dojo just as he was about to leave. Nabiki waited until Kasumi closed the door to the training hall, then stomped over and grabbed him by the pigtail, preventing him from walking off.

"Well, Ranma?" she asked coldly. "Are you just going to let her think that you don't care about her?"

"Ah, well…I, uh…" stuttered Ranma.

Kasumi suddenly walked up to them and grabbed Ranma by the shirt collar, lifting him clean off the ground. Nabiki released Ranma's hair in shock. "Sis…"

"Now you listen to me, Ranma Saotome," said Kasumi. "If you don't stop messing with our little sister's emotions, you won't be able to even live to regret it!"

Ranma felt a chill run up and down his spine. Kasumi was staring daggers at him. She scared him more than anyone else, because he wasn't sure of what she was capable of doing.

She released him suddenly and let him drop to the floor, then the two of them walked away from him in disgust. He watched them go, then turned to look at the door to the training hall. He approached it and slid it open just a little bit, just enough that he could see Akane.

Akane stood in the middle of the room, gazing at a certain point at the wall opposite her. Glancing at it, he saw a patch job covering a hole in the wall…and he realized it was from their very first spar, even before she knew he was a boy. She sighed heavily and crossed the room to the other door, sliding it open and looking out into the pouring rain. Then, much to Ranma's surprise, she began to sing softly to herself.

_Look at me  
You may think you see  
Who I really am  
But you'll never know me  
Every day  
It's as if I play a part  
_

_Now I see  
If I wear a mask  
I can fool the world  
But I cannot fool my heart _

_Who is that girl I see  
Staring straight back at me?  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?_

_I am now  
In a world where I  
Have to hide my heart  
And what I believe in  
_

_But somehow  
I will show the world  
What's inside my heart  
And be loved for who I am_

_Who is that girl I see  
Staring straight back at me?  
Why is my reflection  
Someone I don't know?  
_

_Must I pretend that I'm  
Someone else for all time?  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?_

_There's a heart that must be  
Free to fly  
That burns with a need to know  
The reason why_

_Why must we all conceal  
What we think, how we feel?  
Must there be a secret me  
I'm forced to hide?  
_

_I won't pretend that I'm  
Someone else for all time  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?  
_

_When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?_

She shook her head, wiping away her tears as she did so. Outside the room, Ranma had to swallow the huge lump growing in his throat. Akane listened carefully, for the whole reason she sang her song was because she was aware of him listening in on her. She heard a slight rustling and light footsteps as he walked away.

He couldn't face her now. He just couldn't. He raced away to his room before anyone could catch a glimpse of the tears his fiancée had brought him to shed.

* * *

Two days later, Ranma was racing around the house, trying to find Akane. He wanted to ask her to the prom and had finally steeled enough courage to face her, but she was nowhere to be found. So he headed for the dining room, where he knew everyone else was enjoying dinner.

He slid open the shoji doors with a force that nearly broke it. "Has anyone seen Akane?" he asked the room at large. He had wanted to find her, ask her out, and leave before they all noticed and saw him in his tux, but there was no avoiding that now.

They all looked up at him calmly. Kasumi said, "Her friends picked her up for the prom about half an hour ago."

"What?! Dammit!" he growled. He turned and dashed out of the room. The Tendos and Saotomes looked at one another with small smiles. Nodoka stood and followed her son to the entrance hall.

"Ranma?"

Ranma turned from where he was slipping on his dress shoes to see his mother approaching him.

"Mom, c'mon, I have to catch Akane before she ends up dancing with some other guy!"

Nodoka walked over to a small stand which held Nodoka's, Kasumi's, Nabiki's, and Akane's most frequently used purses and picked up hers. She unzipped it and pulled out a small jewelry box.

"Ranma, take this with you," she said, handing it to him. He looked at it curiously, then with an assured glance at his mom, opened it. He blushed at the sight of the Edwardian platinum engagement ring that lay inside.

"Whoa…" he said. "Mom, uh…this isn't another pill box, is it?"

She smiled, bemused. "Is that why it took you so long to get that to her?" she asked. "No, it's a real ring this time. I want you to take it with you, just in case you wanted to ask her tonight, or whenever you want. It's the ring your father proposed to me with."

_Holy shit, Pop, this is some ring you got her_, he thought with a smile. He fingered the ring gently. Its design was intricate and beautiful. When he turned it slightly, the seven colors of the rainbow were reflected off the ring onto the walls. He looked up at his mother.

"Thanks," he said softly. "It's beautiful. She'll love it."

"Now hurry," she said. "I'm sure she's waiting for you."

He nodded, slipped the ring into his pocket, and ran out the door. Nodoka watched as her son vanished into the night. Never had she seen her son looking so manly.

"Good luck, Ranma," she said quietly as she closed the door.

* * *

Ranma walked into the reception hall their school had rented for the evening and stopped dead. It was amazing. Crystal chandeliers lined the ceiling, real candles on their stands. Around the dance floor were a bunch of small round tables, each with a setting for two and a small candelabrum with three white candles burning softly. Set randomly yet elegantly around the room were small ice sculptures of various animals like dolphins and doves. On the stage was a DJ, playing a soft song that many students were dancing to. Including, Ranma noted angrily, his fiancée and some guy. He cut straight through to the dance floor and tapped Akane's dance partner on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but you happen to be dancing with my _fiancée_," said Ranma through gritted teeth. The guy turned to look at Ranma, his face extremely pale. Ranma vaguely recognized him as a boy from his class but he couldn't place a name, and frankly, as long as he let go of Akane, he didn't care. And, to Ranma's great relief, he released her and shuffled away.

Akane watched him go, then turned to Ranma and said chastisingly, "Could you have been any ruder to him?"

Ranma's breath caught in his throat. Akane was wearing a long, midnight-blue gown with a slit in the side running clean up to her hip. Around her waist, a thin silver sash was buttoned and flowed elegantly down the rest of the dress. Oddly, it had two straps on one shoulder, but none on the other. Around her neck she wore a dark blue choker necklace with a teardrop. On her ears were matching earrings, and on her wrist there was a bracelet that matched the other two. In her hair was a headband with blue and white flowers arranged along it, and to top it all off, she wore a small amount of eye shadow and just a touch of lip gloss. She was, for lack of a better word, beautiful.

"Ranma? Are you listening to me?"

He blinked. "Huh? What?"

"Ranma!" she hissed. "We're ruining the mood! Let's get off the dance floor!"

She grabbed his wrist and led him to one of the tables in the back so they could talk. When they reached their destination, she released his arm and turned to look at him.

Big mistake. Now that she was able to focus on him, she felt a blush appear as she regarded him in his tuxedo. Damn, why did he have to be so hot?!

"Ranma, what are you doing here? Or rather, what are you doing here and interrupting my evening?" she asked, trying to control her breathing.

"Oh, so you _wanted_ to dance with him?" Ranma asked heatedly.

"Well, I don't have a date, so I can dance with whomever I like! Speaking of which, where's your date?" she asked. Her voice was dripping with sarcastic venom. "I would _love_ to meet her."

He blushed slightly. "I, uh…I don't have one," he said.

"Oh, _I_ see," she said. "Father and Uncle Saotome forced you to come here after me to be my date. Well, they aren't here, Ranma. You can do whatever you want. You don't have to be with me!"

"What if I want to be?!" he burst out. "What if I came on my own, to be with you, huh? _What then_?!"

She blinked up at him, surprised. "Ranma…"

"You want me to do what I want? Fine!" he said. He grabbed her wrist and led her back to the dance floor. Blushing furiously, he wrapped his arms around her and began to lead her in a slow, romantic dance as another slow song began to play. She fell easily into step, and he was pleasantly surprised at how graceful a dancer she was. She looked up at him with widened eyes.

"R-Ranma?" she asked softly.

He shook his head. "Don't say anything, Akane," he whispered, lowering his face until his face was hidden against her neck. "For this one moment, can we just enjoy being together?"

She smiled softly and nodded, leaning her head against his chest as his hands slid down to grip themselves behind her waist. He knew their fellow students were watching and whispering about them, but for once, he didn't care. He closed his eyes and inhaled. She was wearing a perfume that was going to drive him crazy, but he just couldn't get enough of it.

_I can't fight this feeling any longer  
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow  
What started out as friendship, has grown stronger  
I only wish I had the strength to let it show  
_

_I tell myself that I can't hold out forever  
I said there is no reason for my fear  
Cause I feel so secure when we're together  
You give my life direction  
You make everything so clear _

_And even as I wander  
I'm keeping you in sight  
You're a candle in the window  
On a cold, dark winter's night  
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
It's time to bring this ship into the shore  
And throw away the oars, forever_

_Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
And if I have to crawl upon the floor  
Come crushing through your door  
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore_

_My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you  
I've been running round in circles in my mind  
And it always seems that I'm following you, girl  
Cause you take me to the places that alone I'd never find_

_And even as I wander I'm keeping you in sight  
You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night  
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
It's time to bring this ship into the shore  
And throw away the oars, forever_

_Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
And if I have to crawl upon the floor  
Come crushing through your door  
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore._

Akane and Ranma stopped as the music did, and as they pulled away, their gazes met and held.

"Akane…" Ranma whispered. She shook her head and pulled him off the floor, and they crossed the room to the back exit, which opened up to a beautiful garden, complete with a large, glowing fountain. As soon as they stepped outside, she gasped with delight.

"Oh, wow! This garden is so amazing!" she said, stepping ahead and looking around with delight. Ranma smiled as he watched her excitement. He loved it when she was happy. Her eyes would alight and she would smile that beautiful smile he loved so much.

She turned to look at him, that smile still on her face. "Isn't it beautiful, Ranma?" she asked softly.

He stared at her for a moment. He decided now was the time to throw caution to the winds. "Yeah, but you're even more beautiful," he said, approaching her slowly. He closed the space between the two of them until he stood so close, she had to crane her neck to see him. She blinked up at him with those beautiful brown eyes of hers.

"Do…do you really mean that, Ranma?" she asked breathlessly.

He nodded as he brought a hand up to her face. His thumb caressed her soft cheek as he looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you sooner, Akane," he said. "I really did want to be your date tonight, but I just…I didn't know how to ask you."

"It's alright, Ranma," she said.

"No, it's not," he said, determined to say everything he needed to. "I heard your song the other day, in the dojo. I've hurt you a lot, haven't I?" Without waiting for an answer, he cupped her face with both hands so she had to look at him. "I don't mean to do that to ya, Akane. I really don't. I don't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just that I…well, I guess there really is no excuse for me hurting you so much. And I wanted to let you know that I'm sorry. I tease you out of affection. I didn't know you took it seriously."

"Ranma, I…"

He suddenly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Akane's eyes widened, then fluttered closed. His lips were so soft and warm against hers…it was almost as though she was kissing velvet. She tilted her head slightly to better receive his kiss, and his hands slid down her body. One hand, he placed on her waist to pull her closer. The other…well, she didn't know where it went, but at that moment, she didn't care. He slid his tongue across the seam of her lips, and she parted them for him.

_Oh, gods, Ranma_, she thought. She felt his hand take her left in his, and she used her free one to place on the back of his neck, dragging him, if possible, even closer. Her knees went limp as his tongue stroked hers, and it was only his hand on her back holding her up.

Finally, they reluctantly parted, both needing air. As she gazed up at him, she noticed something odd about her left hand. Grudgingly pulling her gaze from his deep blue eyes, she looked down and gasped at the sight of the engagement ring he had slipped onto her ring finger during the kiss.

"Oh, Ranma…"

"Will you, Akane?" he asked hoarsely. "I can't live without you. Dammit, I love you so much that it hurts sometimes. I know we're supposed to get married anyway, but I want it to be for us, because we love each other, not just because our parents told us to."

She looked up at him, her brown eyes sparkling with tears. She wanted so badly to say yes, but…

"Ranma…what about the others? Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi, I mean…what about them?"

"What others?" he asked. "I only see you, Akane."

The happiness those simple words gave her was indescribable. She threw her arms around him and sobbed happily, "_Yes_! Oh gods, yes, I'll marry you! I love you so much!"

He leaned down to capture her lips once more, and she kissed him back. Through her tears, and underneath his lips, she smiled happily.

Prom had turned out a _HELLUVA_ lot better than she had hoped.

* * *

(A/N) Yay! Ranma+Akane 3 4ever!!!

The songs in this were:

_Reflection_ by Christina Aguilera

_Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore_ by REO Speedwagon (NOT Chicago like everyone thinks it is)

I do not own the manga series _Fruits Basket_, but I love it so I included it.

Please R&R!


End file.
